Gemotions

"Fine," David mumbled, picking at a loose thread on the sofa. He didn't want to look up, to meet Leo's gaze. The image of the little hamster, its tiny paws paddling furiously in its exercise ball, kept flashing through his mind.

He knew he'd been overly dramatic, exaggerating the mess, the noise, the potential for allergens. Leo, usually so boisterous, had retreated to his room after their argument, the silence from his usually chatty roommate creating a hollow ache in David’s chest.

He hated how small he felt now, how silly his reasons for refusing a pet seemed. He hadn't thought about Leo’s need for companionship. He'd only focused on himself. The thought of seeing the disappointment on Leo's face tomorrow as they both woke up was enough to make him queasy.